DENVER CATHOLIC | SEPTEMBER 14-27, 2019 11

THE
EUCHARIST
THROUGHOUT HISTORY
BY VLADIMIR MAURICIO-PEREZ

A recent Pew survey found that two-thirds of Catholics do not believe that Christ is truly
present in the Eucharist, but that it is a mere symbol. This serves as a wake-up call for
better formation, not assuming that people know the basics of the Catholic faith.
To showcase the importance of the Eucharist in the Christian faith through history,
we have created a timeline that highlights some of the key moments that prepared
the way for the Eucharist in the Old Testament, its institution in the New Testament,
and its practice and deeper understanding in subsequent centuries.
This timeline contains key words that repeat throughout the Scriptures, such as, lamb, bread, wine,
blood, sacrifice, offering, etc. These key words all unite in the Eucharist and bear witness to the fact
that Jesus literally meant that the bread and wine would become his Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity.
12 SEPTEMBER 14-27, 2019 | DENVER CATHOLIC

Old Testament
Foreshadowing
To deliver the Israelites from Egypt, God
commands Moses to tell his people: “Your
lamb shall be without blemish, a male…
“Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest they shall take some of the blood and put
of God the Most High. And he blessed [Abram]” (Gen 14:18-19). He is said it on the doorposts… They shall eat the
to foreshadow Christ’s priesthood, who also offered bread and wine: flesh that nigh” (Ex 12: 5-8). St. Paul writes:
“[Melchizedek] is without father or mother or genealogy, and has neither “For Christ, our Paschal Lamb, has been
beginning of days nor end of life, but resembling the Son of God he con- sacrificed” (1 Cor 5:7). Jesus is identified
tinues a priest forever” (Heb 7:3). St. Jerome wrote in the 5th century, with the Passover lamb, and the eating of
“Just as Melchizedek had done, the priest of the Most high, when he offered the lamb with the eating of Jesus’ body, as
bread and wine in the prefiguration of him, he [Christ] too would present Jesus says: “For my flesh is food indeed,
it in the truth of his own body and blood (Commentary on Matthew IV). and my blood is drink indeed” (Jn 6:55).

MELCHIZEDEK PASSOVER LAMB

2. 4.

1. 3. 5.
THE TREE OF LIFE ISAAC UNLEAVENED BREAD

After eating the fruit from the forbidden tree, Adam and God tests Abraham by asking In preparation for the
Eve are denied the fruit of the Tree of Life. Many Church him to sacrifice his “only-be- Passover, God also com-
Fathers saw the Tree of Life as a prefiguration of the Cross, gotten son Isaac” (Gen 22:2s). mands his people to
and the fruit of the Tree of Life as a prefiguration of the Isaac asks his father why there eat “unleavened bread”
Eucharist, the Body of Christ, which hung from the Cross. is a fire but no lamb for a burnt (Ex 12:15s), which was
Revelation says that God will grant people to eat from the offering. Abrahams responds: meant to symbolize the
Tree of Life (Rev 2:7). Pseudo-Hippolytus writes around the “God will provide himself the hurry with which they were flee-
4th century, “So in place of the old tree, [Christ] plants a lamb for a burnt offering.” Jesus ing Egypt — they did not have time to let it rise. According to
new one… For me the cross is the tree of eternal salvation; is the “Lamb of God” (Jn 1:29) Matthew and Mark, Jesus instituted the Eucharist on “the first
from it I nourish myself, from it I feed myself” (On the Pasch, offered in sacrifice for men, day of Unleavened Bread” (Mt 26:17; Mk 14:12). In the Latin
L-LI). Also, St. Augustine says, “We too are fed from the and a he’s also the “only-be- Rite, the Church still uses unleavened bread for the Eucha-
Lord’s Cross… when we eat his body” (On Psalm 100:9). gotten Son” of God (Jn 1:18). rist, and sees the origin of this tradition in the Passover.

New Testament
Institution
“Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world”
(Jn 1:29). John the Baptist refers to Jesus with these words,
drawing on the importance of the lamb in the Old Testament.
It is in Jesus’ death and resurrection that these references
come to fulfillment, and ultimately in the way he chose to
stay “until the end of time,” that is, in the Eucharist. For this
reason, the priest uses John the Baptist’s very words during the
Mass as he elevates the consecrated Host: “Behold the Lamb
of God, behold him who takes away the sins of the world.”
Jesus himself made it clear that he was not speaking metaphorically when he said, “I
am the living bread which came down from heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will
live forever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh” (Jn 6:
51). When the Jews take this to be ridiculous in the literal sense — “How can this man
give us his flesh to eat?” (6:52) — Jesus reiterates that he’s not speaking metaphori-
cally: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his
blood, you have no life in you… For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink
indeed” (6:53-55). And to extinguish any type of confusion, he adds a new word, “he
who eats [Greek: trogon] me will live because of me” (6:57). In
Greek, “trogon” means “chew” or “gnaw” and not just “eat.”
Many of his disciples could not accept this clear teaching,
“drew back and no longer walked with him” (6:60,66).

“THE LAMB OF GOD” NO MERE SYMBOLISM

2. 4.

1. 3.
MIRACLE OF THE
BETHLEHEM LOAVES THE OUR FATHER

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, which
in Hebrew means “House of Bread.”
Jesus himself foreshadowed the Eucharist before insti-
tuting it in order to prepare his disciples to receive it.
In the feeding of the five thousand, he performs
the same four actions he will use during the
Last Supper: “taking the five loaves and the two
fish he looked up to heaven, and blessed, and
broke, and gave the loves to the disciples, and the
disciples gave them to the crowds” (Mt 14:19). During
the Last Supper, Matthew also writes, “Jesus took the
bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the
disciples and said, ‘Take, eat; this is my body’” (26:26).
In the Gospel of Matthew, a unique word
stands out during the Our Father prayer:
“Give us this day our daily (Greek: epiou-
sios) bread” (Mt 6:11). Epiousios is not used
anywhere else in the Bible, except in Lk 11:3,
in the same prayer. St. Jerome’s translation of
Matthew into Latin is more literal and trans-
lates this word as “supersubstantial.” Supersub-
stantial means above all substance or superior to
all things. Therefore, many Church Fathers understood the
petition for “our supersubstantial bread” to refer to the Eucharist.
DENVER CATHOLIC | SEPTEMBER 14-27, 2019 13

After the Israelites left Egypt,
God sent them the manna, or
bread from heaven, in the desert:
“I will rain bread from heaven
for you” (Ex 16:4). Jesus is the
fulfillment of the manna, as he
himself states: “Your fathers ate
the manna in the wilderness, and
they died… I am the living bread
which came down from heaven;
if anyone eats of this bread, he
will live forever” (Jn 6: 49-51).
God commands Moses to build a Tabernacle and place the Ark of the Cov- Isaiah 53 is a strong prefiguration of Christ
enant in it, so that he may “dwell in their midst” (Ex 25:8). He then com- in the Old Testament. It tells of a man who
mands him, “And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before was “afflicted”. “But he was wounded for
me always” (25:30). Later on, David ate this bread, which was given to our transgressions… like a lamb that is led
him by the priest Abimelech: “So the priest gave [David] the holy bread, to the slaughter… although he had done
for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence” (1 Sam 21:6). no violence… he [made] himself an offer-
Jesus alludes to this episode and says, “Have you not read what David did, ing for sin.” The servant is compared to a
when he was hungry… how he entered the house of God and ate the bread lamb and to a sacrificial offering, and by
of the Presence… I tell you, something greater than the his righteousness “will make many righ-
temple is here” (Mt 12:1-8). He who is greater than the teous.” Jesus is, again, the “Lamb of God,”
temple became the true bread of the Presence. who, as John says, is the “righteous”, and
“the expiation for our sins” (1 Jn 2:2).

BREAD OF THE THE SUFFERING

MANNA PRESENCE SERVANT
6. 8. 10.

7. 9.
SPRINKLING OF BLOOD TODAH OFFERING

After receiving the Law from God, Todah is Hebrew for “thanksgiving.” A todah sacrifice
“Moses took the blood and threw it was a type of peace offering that was offered by
upon the people, and said, ‘Behold someone who had received a great ben-
the blood of the covenant which the efit from God. Its elements were meat,
Lord has made with you in accordance bread and wine (Lev 7:11-15; Num
with all these words’” (Ex 24:8). Jesus 15:8-10). Eucharist comes from the
picks up this language and institutes Latin eucharistia, which also means
a new covenant with his body and “thanksgiving.” In the Eucharistic
blood as the new sacrifice, during sacrifice, the bread and wine become
the Last Supper: “This chalice which the body and blood of Jesus. Many schol-
is poured out for you is the new cov- ars have considered both the Todah and the
enant in my blood” (Lk 22:20). Passover sacrifices as foreshadows of the Eucharist.

At the Last Supper, which took part in the context
of the Passover, Jesus draws many of the aforemen-
tioned symbolisms and unites them in the Institution
of the Eucharist. Jesus takes the bread, breaks it,
and says, “This is my body which is given for you”
(Lk 22:19). He then takes the chalice and says, “This
cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant
in my blood” (22:20). He then commands them, “Do
this in remembrance of me.” Scholars have noted
that although the supper was done in the context of
the Passover, no Passover lamb is ever mentioned:
Jesus, himself is the Passover lamb (1 Cor 5:7).
In Acts of the Apostles, the apostles
and disciples celebrated the Eucharist:
“And they devoted themselves to the
apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the
breaking of the bread and the prayers”
(Acts 2:42). As previously mentioned,
the “breaking of the bread” referred to
the Eucharist, as Christ instituted it at
the Last Supper. There are many other
examples: “On the first day of the week
[Sunday], when we were gathered
together to break bread…” (Acts 20:7).
In the Book of Revelation, John shows that the Eucharis-
tic worship corresponds with and finds its fulfillment in the
heavenly worship, “the marriage supper of the Lamb” (Rev
19:19). John provides powerful images that correspond to
the Mass, showing that Christians already partake in the
heavenly worship. In Rev 4-5, John describes the Pass-
over Lamb, the elders — presbyteros, which is the Greek
word for priests — the proclamation of God’s revelation,
incense, songs, angels, prayer, the “Holy, Holy, Holy,” pros-
tration, etc. These elements show that the Mass is not an
invention of the Church, but that it is a gift in which Chris-
tians already partake in the perfect heavenly worship.

INSTITUTION OF THE FIRST CHRISTIAN REVELATION

EUCHARIST COMMUNITIES
6. 8. 10.

7. 9.
ROAD TO EMMAUS ST. PAUL

The last chapter of the Gospel of Luke (24:13-35) gives a brief description of the St. Paul asserts that the Eucharist is truly the
Mass that the disciples would partake in, highlighting the two parts of the liturgy: body and blood of Christ, and there are conse-
The Liturgy of the Word and then the Liturgy of the Eucharist. As two disciples were quences for those who partake in it unworthily.
traveling to Emmaus from Jerusalem on the Sunday after the crucifixion of Jesus, “The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a
Jesus himself draws near them, though they do not recognize him. First, “beginning participation in the blood of Christ? The bread
with Moses and all the prophets, [Jesus] interpreted to them in all the Scriptures which we break, is it not a participation in the
the things pertaining to himself” (24:27). When he sat at the table with them, “he body of Christ?” (1 Cor 10:16). He also writes
took the bread, and blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. And their eyes were to the Corinthians saying, “Whoever, therefore, CONTINUES
opened and they recognized him.” They went back to Jerusalem and in amazement eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in ON NEXT
PAGE
told the disciples “what had happened in the road and how he was known to them in
the breaking of the bread” (24:35). The Resurrected Christ is found in the Eucharist.
an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning
the body and blood of the Lord” (1 Cor 11:23-29).
»
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THE CROSS AND THE EUCHARIST IN EARLY
CHRISTIANITY BY REV. DANIEL CARDÓ
Also known as “The Lord’s Teaching COVER PHOTO BY JOSH APPLEGATE
Ignatius of Antioch, who had
Through the Twelve Apostles to the
been a disciple of St. John,
Nations,” this Early Christian writing “Not as common bread or common drink do
said regarding those who held
from the first century mentions the we receive these; but since Jesus Christ our
“heterodox opinions,” that
importance of confessing one’s sins Savior was made incarnate by the word of God
“they abstain from the Eucharist
before receiving communion and talks and had both flesh and blood for our salva-
and from prayer, because they
explicitly about the Eucharist. “But every tion, so too, as we have been taught, the food
do not confess that the Eucharist is
Lord’s day [Sunday] gather yourselves together, and break which has been made into the Eucharist by the
the flesh of our Savior Jesus Christ, flesh
bread, and give thanksgiving after having confessed your Eucharistic prayer set down by him, and by the
which suffered for our sins and which the
transgressions, that your sacrifice may be pure” (XIV). “Now change of which our blood and flesh is nour-
Father, in his goodness, raised up again”
concerning the Thanksgiving [Eucharist], thus give thanks. First ished… is both the flesh and the blood of that
(Letter to the Smyrnaeans 6:2, 7:1).
concerning the cup… And concerning the broken bread…” (IX). incarnated Jesus” (First Apology 66:1–20).

DIDACHE ST. IGNATIUS OF ST. JUSTIN

ANTIOCH MARTYR

ca. 60-100 ca. 110 A.D. ca. 150 A.D.

“You are accustomed to

“Do not, therefore, regard “It is the true Flesh of A great debate arose when in the 11th century, Ber-
take part in the divine
the bread and wine as Christ which was cru- engar of Tours assured that it was not necessary to
mysteries, so you know
simply that, for they are, cified and buried, this talk about material change in the elements when
how, when you have
according to the Master’s is then truly the Sac- explaining the real presence of Christ in the Eucha-
received the Body of
declaration, the body rament of His Body. rist. The Fourth Lateran Council reaffirmed in 1215
the Lord, you rever-
and blood of Christ. Even The Lord Jesus Him- what the Church had believed for centuries by using
ently exercise every
though the senses sug- self proclaims: “This a fairly-new term: “Transubstantiation.” While not
care lest a particle of
gest to you the other, Is My Body” (On the attached to a specific metaphysics, this term was
it fall and lest anything
let faith make you firm” Mysteries 9, 53-54). used to explain that the essence of bread and wine
of the consecrated
(Catechetical Discourses: became the true Body and Blood of Christ, even if
gift perish” (Homilies
Mystagogic 4:22:9). the appearances of bread and wine remained intact.
on Exodus 13:3).

ORIGEN ST. CYRIL OF ST. AMBROSE

“TRANSUBSTANTIATION”
JERUSALEM OF MILAN

ca. 244 A.D ca. 350 A.D. ca. 387 A.D. 1215

Thomas Aquinas gave

In the Early Church, the adoration of the The Council of Trent reaffirmed that it was not reasonable to say
the greatest theologi-
Body and Blood of Christ was restricted to that the Real Presence was limited to the moment of reception, as
cal explanation of the
the Eucharistic celebration and communion, Martin Luther held, but that it remained afterward. The fact that
meaning of transub-
and Fathers such as Augustine and Ambrose the Presence did not depend on the act of reception was evident
stantiation. In addition,
encouraged an attitude of adoration during Mass. not only in Tradition, but also in the Gospels. Early Christians fre-
he was commissioned
However, in hopes of repairing for the controversies and blas- quently took the Eucharist to the homebound or on long journeys,
to write the hymns for
phemies of some against the Eucharist, faithful such as St. or even received the Blessed Sacrament a couple days after its
the Feast of Corpus
Juliana of Liege, requested in the 13th century a greater ado- consecration, as is documented in writings of the Church Fathers.
Christi. He wrote
ration outside of Mass. This request, coupled with the Eucha- Following Jesus’ words in the Gospels, it is evident that the Body
such hymns as Pange
ristic miracle of Bolsena, Italy, in 1264, led Pope Urban IV to and Blood became so before reception and not because of it.
Lingua, Tantum Ergo
institute the Feast of Corpus Christi (“The Body of Christ”).
and O Salutaris Hostia.

THOMAS AQUINAS FEAST OF THE REAL PRESENCE

CORPUS CHRISTI REMAINS

1225-1274 1264 1551

As a practical consequence of
Eucharistic Adoration, the practice
of making frequent visits to the
Blessed Sacrament became more
popular. St. Alphonsus of Liguori
gave a new impulse to this practice
through his popular book Visits to
the Blessed Sacrament, published
in 1745, which went through 40 edi-
tions in his lifetime. Some religious
orders also began practicing per-
petual adoration around this time.
Pope Pius X would come to
be known as the “Pope of
the Blessed Sacrament” by
many. Other than restoring
the practice of Gregorian
Chant, he promoted daily
communion, assuring that it
is the shortest way to Heaven.
He also lowered the age of
First Communion from 12 to 7
years old, which was consid-
ered the “age of discretion.”
The Second Vatican Council was held to
address the relation between the Church and
the modern world. Among the modifications
established, the Constitution on the Sacred
Liturgy sought to reform and promote the
liturgy. Some of these reforms included a
wider use of the vernacular language during
the liturgy and a greater participation of the
congregation. It’s implementation has been
the subject of much discussion, and for
many, various changes associated with it
were never intended by the Council Fathers.
Over 35 years after the Missal was
updated in 1970, following the Second
Vatican Council, Pope Benedict XVI
allowed priests to celebrate the Tridentine
Mass – often referred to as the Traditional
Latin Mass – using the 1962 Missal, with
a group of faithful “who, of their own
will, asked to be admitted.” The Pope
assured that the “new rite” from 1970 did
not null the “old rite,” last published in
1962. Instead, he said they must be seen
as a “twofold use” of the same rite.

VISITS TO THE BLESSED VATICAN II’S SUMMORUM

POPE PIUS X
SACRAMENT LITURGICAL REFORM PONTIFCIUM

1745 1903-1914 1962-1965 2007